Gabbard to Speak at UHH Commencement on May 11

US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will be the commencement speaker at the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s spring graduation ceremony.

The event will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, at the Edith Kanakaole Multi-Purpose Stadium.

Gabbard was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2012 after serving in the Honolulu City Council. She also won election to the state House in 2002 at the age of 21, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii Legislature.

In 2004, Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard and twice voluntarily deployed to Iraq.

A native of American Samoa, she is the first member of the House of Samoan ancestry, the first Hindu member and one of the first female combat veterans elected to Congress.

Ashlee Kalauli will serve as speaker for the class of 2013. A mathematics major with a minor in chemistry in college, she has maintained a grade point average of 3.87 while earning numerous academic honors and awards.

Class of 2013 speaker Ashlee Kalauli. Courtesy photo.

They include the Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation and Hawaii Noyce Teacher’s Scholarships, the Pearson Undergraduate Mathematics Award and the Pearson Outstanding Mathematics Senior Award. She was also among the students chosen to participate in the 2012 Pacific Undergraduate Research Experience in Mathematics (PURE Math) program.

Kalauli was born in San Diego, Calif. and grew up in Honoka`a. She attended Kamehameha Schools – Hawaii in Keaau where she graduated fifth out of 142 students with a 4.0 GPA.

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A total of 765 degrees and certificates will be awarded. They include 460 from the College of Arts and Sciences, 53 from the College of Business and Economics, 46 from the Ka Haka `Ula O Ke`elikolani College of Hawaiian Language, 120 from the College of Pharmacy and 27 from the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management.

In addition, 33 students are candidates for various post-graduate honors and another 26 are seeking Teacher Education Program certificates.

More information on the commencement is available at (808) 974-7555 or by emailingcommence@hawaii.edu.

For disability accommodations, contact Susan Shirachi at (808) 933-0816 (V) or (808) 933-3334 (TTY). Requests should be made at least 10 business days prior to the event.